I Love July!

July has been a wonderful month for me for as long as I can remember.  It hosts my favorite rodeo and one of my favorite holidays.  Not to mention, it's the month my husband and I began dating (again) and the month my 1st child was born in.  So, it should be no surprise that July would be the month that saved me! 

Following my revelations in July of 2015, I began to take my lifestyle changes more seriously.  I was switching jobs (sort of) in September and that gave me a chance to start over.  By that, I mean it gave me the chance to become the type of employee I wanted to be.  At my previous place, I worked long hours and had a lot of stress/drama.  Most of it I probably put on myself, but moving to a new location gave me the opportunity to start fresh.  I realized that in the past year leading up to my decision to switch locations, I had gained 20 pounds and in the years before that, I had gained another 30.  So, I was averaging about 10 pounds a year and forming a number of unhealthy habits.  Stress adds more weight than you realize.  Not only literally, but mentally and physically as well.  No job is worth your health.

July was my mid-point between job changes as well as a wake-up call for me to get my act together and take care of myself.  Once I figured out that I had to stop eating/drinking so many calories and realized that I was actually doing it, the weight started to come off.  

**Tip #1 for anyone trying to lose weight, record your food (all of it) and weigh everything -- yes, even your peanut butter!  You'll be amazed at how much you are actually eating!  Did you know one sour patch kid has 25 calories?  Crazy right!  Imagine me eating a whole bag like it was nothing...and not the small bag.